Pharming, and the threat of identity theft
PHISH STORY
The pharmers and phishers are after your precious financial infor-mation. We’ll show you how to protect your interests.
Phishing is the art of tricking unsuspecting Internet users into giving up personal and financial information. This nefarious game has brought big rewards to a new generation of cyber con men. But phishing is only one of several tools in a bigger bag of tricks. This article examines some popular techniques for identity theft and shows what you can do to stay ahead of the threat. Phishing and Pharming Phishing uses tricks like spoofed email to tempt unsuspecting users into visiting rogue sites, where they are asked to enter personal data such as passwords or PIN numbers. Phishing attacks occur in two phases: in Phase One, the user is tricked into visiting the attacker’s web server. Attackers use various initial vectors to attract victims. In Phase Two, the user is prompted to enter the personal data. This part of the attack is often referred to as visual spoofing. The best known initial vectors are email spoofing and cross site scripting (XSS), where the attacker misuses the website of a trusted third party to initiate the attack. In all of these cases, the attack relies on the victim playing along and would fail without the victim’s compliance.
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
US / Canada
UK / Australia
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
System76 Releases COSMIC Alpha 7
With scores of bug fixes and a really cool workspaces feature, COSMIC is looking to soon migrate from alpha to beta.
-
OpenMandriva Lx 6.0 Available for Installation
The latest release of OpenMandriva has arrived with a new kernel, an updated Plasma desktop, and a server edition.
-
TrueNAS 25.04 Arrives with Thousands of Changes
One of the most popular Linux-based NAS solutions has rolled out the latest edition, based on Ubuntu 25.04.
-
Fedora 42 Available with Two New Spins
The latest release from the Fedora Project includes the usual updates, a new kernel, an official KDE Plasma spin, and a new System76 spin.
-
So Long, ArcoLinux
The ArcoLinux distribution is the latest Linux distribution to shut down.
-
What Open Source Pros Look for in a Job Role
Learn what professionals in technical and non-technical roles say is most important when seeking a new position.
-
Asahi Linux Runs into Issues with M4 Support
Due to Apple Silicon changes, the Asahi Linux project is at odds with adding support for the M4 chips.
-
Plasma 6.3.4 Now Available
Although not a major release, Plasma 6.3.4 does fix some bugs and offer a subtle change for the Plasma sidebar.
-
Linux Kernel 6.15 First Release Candidate Now Available
Linux Torvalds has announced that the release candidate for the final release of the Linux 6.15 series is now available.
-
Akamai Will Host kernel.org
The organization dedicated to cloud-based solutions has agreed to host kernel.org to deliver long-term stability for the development team.